Tag Archives: purse snatch

MASSAGE THERAPIST CHARGED WITH SEX ABUSE
Police arrested 36-year-old Omar Walrond for alleged sex abuse that took place on December 3, 2018, at 10 a.m. inside Metassage at 12 West 27th Street. The victim told police that Walrond, her former coworker who is a licensed massage therapist, allegedly groped her numerous times during a massage session. She said that during the session, she was wearing underwear and Walrond allegedly reached inside to touch her vagina. He also reportedly groped her breast excessively during the session, and she said that she felt extremely uncomfortable during the massage. Police said that the victim used to work in the massage parlor with Walrond.

Walrond was arrested on Monday, January 28 at 8:15 a.m. and was charged with sexual abuse and forcible touching.

MAN BUSTED FOR ALLEGED ATTEMPTED PURSE-SNATCHING ON EAST 15TH STREET
Police arrested 29-year-old Jerome Richards for an alleged attempted theft in front of 210 East 15th Street on Saturday, February 2 at 7 a.m. The victim told police that she was leaving the Third Avenue L station on 14th Street and headed north towards East 15th Street towards her job when she noticed that Richards was following closely behind her. She then crossed East 15th Street and Richards followed, then allegedly attempted to snatch her bag from her three to four times. Richards failed to get the victim’s bag from her and fled the location, but was arrested when the victim searched the area with officers and spotted him nearby.

MEN ARRESTED AFTER ULTRASOUND MACHINE STOLEN FROM BETH ISRAEL
Police arrested 63-year-old Joel Cayabyab for grand larceny inside Mount Sinai Beth Israel at 10 Perlman Place last Wednesday at 6 p.m. Police said that Cayabyab took an ultrasound machine from the hospital without permission. Nat Romeo, 47, was charged with possession of stolen property inside the hospital the following day at 2:20 p.m. in connection with the theft. Cayabyab allegedly told police that he arranged to take the machine and give it to Romeo in exchange for a favor.

SUSPECTED BURGLAR TRAPPED IN TRUCK BY VICTIM ON FIRST AVENUE
Police arrested 29-year-old Remy Zurita for burglary in front of New York Brows Salon at 239 First Avenue last Monday at 4:58 p.m. Police said that Zurita went inside the back of a commercial truck that was parked in front of the salon near East 14th Street and Zurita was allegedly going through a backpack and wallet that was inside the truck. The driver, seeing what was going on, then closed the back of the truck, trapping Zurita there until police arrived.

Police are looking for a woman who knocked down an elderly woman to snatch her bag on the 6 train.

On Thursday, July 6 at about 8:30 p.m., as the train was in Union Square, the suspect grabbed the 75-year-old victim’s bag from the floor of the train. When the victim tried to stop her, the younger woman pushed her down to the ground and dashed off the southbound train.

The victim lost her cell phone, bank cards and approximately $100 in cash.

The suspect is described as black and last seen wearing a black hooded sweater, blue jeans and white sneakers.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.

Police are on the lookout for a man who snatched a bag from an 80-year-old woman in Stuyvesant Town on Monday.

At around 12:30 p.m., the woman was approached by the man on the sidewalk in front of 278 First Avenue. He asked her which way Fifth Avenue was and when she pointed in that direction, he grabbed her purse, which had been in a basket in her walker, and fled towards East 18th Street.

The thief got away with $400 in cash and various credit cards. The woman was unharmed.

The suspect is described as being white and six feet tall.

On Tuesday, police from the 13th Precinct stopped by the Stuyvesant Town Community Center to drop off some fliers listing safety tips like not hanging bags in walkers.

Paula Chirhart, a spokesperson for StuyTown property Services, said management has surveillance footage of the incident and has beefed up security in the area.

CAMERA ‘PERVS’ BUSTED AT UNION SQUAREPolice arrested two men for “obscene material” in unrelated incidents at Union Square station last week. Rubio Patricio-Palaguachi, 37, was arrested last Tuesday at 2 p.m. Patricio-Palaguachi was allegedly walking directly behind a woman with his Samsung Galaxy phone camera lens facing upward under her dress and while she was walking up the stairs out of the station, recording her underwear as she walked. She told police that she did not know him and did not give him permission to film her. Oscar Torres, 31, was arrested last Sunday at 4:35 p.m. Torres allegedly placed a recording device under the skirt of a girl as she was walking up the stairs out of the station.

‘GROPER’ NABBED IN UNION SQUAREPolice arrested Carlos Hernandez Saavedra, 50, arrested for groping a woman at the Union Square subway station last Friday at 5:45 p.m. Hernandez Saavedra was allegedly touching and rubbing a woman’s butt while on the train without her permission.

MAN BUSTED FOR SNATCHING WALLETPolice arrested 50-year-old James Davis in Union Square for grand larceny last Monday at 10:40 a.m. Davis allegedly reached into a woman’s purse while on an Eighth Avenue-bound L train and removed her wallet. Police said that he used a dry cleaning bag with a pink shirt to cover his left arm while removing the wallet. He allegedly fled onto a downtown express train to avoid being arrested. Police arrested him on the 4/5/6 platform and he was allegedly in possession of a Samsung Galaxy phone and two MetroCards that belonged to someone else.

PHONE SNATCHER NABBED IN UNION SQUAREThirty-two-year-old Billy Decaneo was arrested for grand larceny at Union Square East and East 14th Street last Tuesday at 7:41 a.m. The victim said that he was sitting in Union Square Park on the steps by the fountain. He had his bag on his lap and was looking for his wallet when Decaneo allegedly reached into the bag and took his cell phone with charger attached. The victim alerted a nearby officer and the victim’s phone was in Decaneo’s hand when he was arrested, police said.

ARREST FOR PHONY MUGGING STORYPolice arrested 27-year-old Jennifer Fleischer arrested for perjury last Wednesday at 3:20 p.m. at the Union Square subway station. Fleischer allegedly told police that while she was getting off an uptown M train at the Broadway-Lafayette station, an unknown black man mugged her and stole her purse, containing her MetroCard and $20 in cash. Upon further investigation, she recanted her story, allegedly saying that she made it up as an excuse to not go to work and that her property was in the garbage.

MAN ADMITS HAVING GUNPolice arrested 27-year-old Bobby Robinson for weapons possession inside the 13th precinct at 230 East 21st Street last Sunday at 12:30 a.m. Police said that Robinson freely walked up to an officer, while not in custody, and spontaneously said, “that’s my car and I left a gun in the trunk.” A handgun was recovered from the car.

‘DRUNK DRIVER’ AT THIRD AND EAST 15THPolice arrested 40-year-old William Mack arrested for intoxicated driving last Tuesday at 2:53 a.m. at Third Avenue and East 15th Street. Police saw him swerving in traffic and he allegedly had a smell of alcohol on his breath when police stopped him. He blew a .157 on a Breathalyzer, police said.

MAN GRABS AND ‘THREATENS’ WOMANPolice arrested 29-year-old Kevin Newton arrested for criminal mischief in front of 717 Sixth Avenue last Tuesday at 1:50 a.m. The victim told police that she was walking on the sidewalk when she felt Newton grab her wrist. She pulled free and began to walk away from him but he allegedly followed her for about two blocks and began to verbally threaten her. She attempted to call 911 when he smacked the phone from her hand, causing the glass screen to shatter, police said. She also told police that he spit in her face.

BIKE ‘BURGLAR’ BUSTED ON WEST 25TH
Police arrested 54-year-old Lindsay Thomas arrested for possession of burglar’s tools last Wednesday at 1:45 p.m. in front of 40 West 25th Street. Thomas was walking east with two other unknown men when they were seen stopping at a Citibike rack. The first unknown man pointed at the rack while the second unknown man was seen attempting to remove the bike by pulling on the tire. The men then fled in unknown directions and when police stopped Thomas, he was allegedly in possession of burglar’s tools.

SUBWAY BUSKER BUSTED FOR FORGERYClaudio Soto, 32, was arrested for forgery last Wednesday 6:25 p.m. inside the Union Square station. Soto was allegedly playing an electric guitar with an amplification device on the L platform in violation of transit rules. When asked to produce identification, he gave a forged US permanent resident card and forged Chilean driver’s license

MAN ARRESTED FOR KICKING DOORPolice arrested 22-year-old Vincent Florido for criminal mischief last Thursday at 12:45 a.m. in front of Friend of a Farmer at 77 Irving Place. Florido allegedly damaged the front lobby door by kicking the glass intentionally.

ATTEMPTED BIKE ‘THIEF’ BUSTEDPolice arrested 19-year-old Anthony Barahona for possession of burglar’s tools in front of 10 Union Square East last Thursday at 2:20 p.m. Barahona was allegedly using wirecutters to open a bicycle lock which didn’t belong to him. Police said that he was in possession of another pair of wirecutters, which were in his backpack.

MAN ARRESTED FOR POTIbrahima Jalloh, 23, was arrested for marijuana possession last Wednesday at 6:23 p.m. at Broadway and West 28th Street. Police said he had it in plain view on a public sidewalk.

TEEN RIDING BIKE ON SIDEWALK ARRESTED FOR BRASS KNUCKLESPolice arrested a 17-year-old for weapons possession at West 23rd Street and Seventh Avenue last Monday at 5:35 p.m. Miller was allegedly riding a black bicycle recklessly on the sidewalk of Seventh Avenue, causing about 15 people to move out of the way. He was also in possession of brass knuckles in his left shorts pocket, police said.

MAN HIT OVER THE HEAD WITH BOTTLEJames Quinn, 23, was arrested for assault last Saturday at 3:34 p.m. in front of 101 West 25th Street. Quinn got into an argument with the victim and allegedly hit him over the head with a bottle.

TEENS ACROBATS ARRESTEDPolice arrested two teens for reckless endangerment last Saturday at 8:10 p.m. at the Union Square subway station. A 16-year-old and 18-year-old Kyle Solomon were allegedly working together, dancing and somersaulting on a crowded L train, causing a hazard to themselves and others, police said. The name of the 16-year-old is being withheld due to his age.

MAN ARRESTED FOR SELLING ‘LOOSIE’Police arrested 38-year-old Udo Onua for violating tax law at East 14th Street and Union Square West last Thursday at 9:28 a.m. Onua was allegedly selling loose Newport cigarettes from a carton with an Ohio stamp in exchange for cash.

‘DRUNK DRIVER’ BUSTED ON SECOND AVENUEPolice arrested Victor Assante, 44, for intoxicated driving in front of 531 Second Avenue last Friday at 3:01 a.m. Assante was driving north on Third Avenue and then east on East 29th Street and while driving on Third Avenue, he was allegedly swerving back and forth between the far right lane and the middle of the road. He was stopped near East 29th Street because he allegedly didn’t signal when he turned and police said that he had a strong odor of alcohol on his breathe, watery, bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and was unsteady on his feet.

‘PURSE SNATCHER’ NABBED IN STUY TOWN
Police arrested 44-year-old Mark Gallop for grand larceny at the 13th Precinct last Monday at 10:45 a.m. Gallop was allegedly on surveillance video of 1 Stuyvesant Oval and was seen in the lobby of the building taking a woman’s purse.

WOMAN ARRESTED FOR ASSAULT OF OFFICER
Police arrested 27-year-old Rushelle Exeter for assault of a peace officer last Thursday at 3:07 a.m. While in front of the Bellevue Hospital building at 462 First Avenue, Exeter allegedly bit a police officer on the left forearm, breaking the skin and causing pain. Exeter then spit in the face of another officer, causing irritation and pain, police said.

MEN BUSTED FOR ‘GAMBLING’ ON E. 22ND
Police arrested three men for promoting gambling inside 12 East 22nd Street last Friday at 6:15 p.m. Thirty-eight-year-old Shawn Chaconas, 30-year-old Jason Lee and 26-year-year-old Andrew Chaconas were arrested for promoting an illegal poker game at the location.

TWO CAMERA ‘PERVS’ BUSTED IN UNION SQUARE
Police arrested two men for sexual abuse in the Union Square subway station in unrelated incidents.
Forty-two-year-old Adrian Macareno was arrested last Wednesday at 11:08 a.m. Macareno was allegedly using his cell phone in video mode to record under a girl’s shorts. The girl told police that she didn’t know Macareno and didn’t give him permission to film her.
Fifty-four-year-old Karl Coelho was arrested last Wednesday at 3:47 p.m. Coelho was allegedly walking behind a woman with his cell phone lens facing up and in video mode, filming her private parts while she was walking up the stairs to the street. Coelho failed to appear for his court date on a previous summons and also is on the sexual monitoring list.

‘PERV’ NABBED ON ‘L’ PLATFORM
Police arrested 36-year-old Manuel Zambrano for public lewdness at the Union Square subway station last Saturday at 2:15 p.m. Zambrano was allegedly masturbating with both of his hands inside his jogging pants pocket while on the L platform. He was standing by the staircase on the platform and looking up women’s skirts, police said.

WOMAN ARRESTED FOR PURSE ‘THEFT’ IN HOSPITAL BATHROOM
Police arrested 46-year-old Mildred Peralta for possession of stolen property last Monday at 12:27 a.m. inside the Hospital for Joint Diseases at 301 East 17th Street. Peralta allegedly told police that she stole someone’s property from a bathroom stall but was going to return it. When the phone was retrieved, it was powered off and the MetroCard that was with it had been removed. Peralta had removed the phone and MetroCard from the victim’s pocketbook, police said.

WOMEN ‘ASSAULT’ CABBIE ON AVE. C
Police arrested 21-year-old Rashyra Autry and 22-year-old Dawnice Cheatham for assault at the corner of Avenue C and East 23rd Street last Sunday at 5:22 a.m. A taxi driver told police that he got into an argument with the two women over a cab ride to New Rochelle and Autry allegedly punched the driver in the face. She also kicked the cab, causing a previous repair of the car’s quarter panel to crack off.

‘TRESPASSING’ NEAR FDR DRIVE
Police arrested 61-year-old Michael Diaz for criminal trespassing in a fenced in area at the FDR and Avenue C last Tuesday at 8:07 a.m. Diaz was allegedly at the location without permission.

MAN BUSTED FOR GIFT CARD ‘THEFT’
Police arrested 46-year-old Anthony Donelson in front of 25 West 14th Street for grand larceny last Wednesday. The address is home to a few retailers, including Guitar Center. Donelson allegedly confessed to a loss prevention officer at the business that over the course of several months, he was making fraudulent gift cards in the amount of $5,039, which were given to unknown people and used at the above location.

‘MENACE’ ARRESTED AT HAO WEI
Police arrested 29-year-old Xian Lin for menacing at the 13th Precinct last Sunday at 4:45 p.m. Lin allegedly entered the Hao Wei restaurant at 493 Second Avenue and punched the victim several times in the face. He also pulled out a knife and threatened the victim, police said.

TWO BUSTED IN DRUG ‘DEAL’ ON EAST 24TH
Police arrested 52-year-old Charles McAtee for possession of a controlled substance in front of 168 East 24th Street last Friday at 9:25 a.m. McAtee allegedly bought eight Xanax tablets from 49-year-old Jose Rivera, who was also arrested for sale of a controlled substance.

MAN BUSTED FOR FAKE PLASTIC
Police arrested 28-year-old George Pauls for forgery inside the Gap at 122 Fifth Avenue last Monday at 2:48 p.m. Pauls allegedly tried to use a forged credit card at the store and was told by the cashier that the card wasn’t valid. Pauls then fled the location, running north on Fifth Avenue, police said. A loss prevention officer followed him and called the police. Pauls was then arrested in front of the store and when he was brought to the precinct, he confessed to using a fraudulent credit card, police said.

UNLICENSED ROCK SALESMAN BUSTED
Police arrested 31-year-old Anwar Knight for violating New York State law in front of 1 Union Square East last Sunday at 2 p.m. Knight was displaying rocks for sale to the public on a folding table without a Department of Consumer Affairs license.

FOOD VENDOR REFUSES TO LEAVE
Police arrested 28-year-old Ahmad Shaker for disorderly conduct at the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 23rd Street last Tuesday at 3:17 p.m. Shaker allegedly refused to move his food cart from the corner, which he was asked to do because it presented a hazard at that location. Police said that Shaker was asked to move the cart numerous times and he refused, then engaged in violent and threatening behavior, saying, “F— that, I’m not moving, I don’t care what you gotta say.”

TEENS BUSTED FOR ‘FAKE’ $100’S
Police arrested two teens for forgery in front of 863 Broadway last Tuesday at 6:06 p.m. Eighteen-year-olds Joshua Faust-Gadsden and Quentya Hawkins allegedly tried to purchase items by passing a counterfeit $100 bill to the cashier. The cashier called the police and the teens were stopped nearby. When police searched them, they were allegedly in possession of fake $100 bills.

MAN ARRESTED FOR SELLING SMOKES
Police arrested 53-year-old Richard Zanetti for violating tax law in front of 490 Second Avenue last Tuesday at 10:10 a.m. Zanetti was allegedly on the sidewalk at the location selling a cigarette carton to another unapprehended person. The tax stamp on the carton was from Virginia, police said.

On Friday, 25-year-old Jonathan Fernandez was arrested for allegedly snatching a woman’s purse in front of 447 East 14th Street. Police collared him after ST/PCV security officers saw him entering Stuy Town a second time.

The robbery took place in the early hours on September 29 when the victim, a resident of Peter Cooper, told police that she was standing outside the building while talking on the phone. At 12:45 a.m., she said, a man wearing a grey-hooded sweatshirt hit her in the back of the head and grabbed her purse, which contained a wallet, debit card, Kuwaiti and Canadian driver’s licenses, U.S. and Canadian Social Security cards, a touch pad and a Canadian resident card.

The woman told police that she did not get a good look at the person who hit her, but Fernandez was arrested for the robbery last Friday after Stuyvesant Town security examined video of the incident and later recognized him in the area again, 13th Precinct Deputy Inspector Ted Berntsen said.

According to William McClellan, the security chief at ST/PCV, officers saw the suspect enter the property and followed him to 23rd Street, where they confronted him and alerted the 13th Precinct.

“Law enforcement arrested the suspect and charged him with the robbery at PCVST, as well as several other robberies in the neighborhood,” said McClellan in a written statement. “The Public Safety officers involved in this case did an outstanding job and this is a stellar example of the work our department does to help keep the residents of PCVST safe and secure,” he added.

(Editor’s note: This robbery was first noted on the Stuyvesant Town Report blog. On the week of the incident, police wouldn’t disclose information on it, citing the open investigation.)

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About Town & Village

Town & Village is a print newspaper that has been serving the community since 1947, covering neighborhoods in the East Side of Manhattan, including Stuyvesant Town, Peter Cooper Village, Waterside Plaza, Gramercy Park, Union Square, East Midtown Plaza and Kips Bay.

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About us

Town & Village is a print newspaper that has been serving the community since 1947, covering neighborhoods in the East Side of Manhattan, including Stuyvesant Town, Peter Cooper Village, Waterside Plaza, Gramercy Park, Union Square, East Midtown Plaza and Kips Bay.